Southern California -- this just in

Should L.A. ban food trucks from parking on city streets? Tell us what you think.

June 17, 2010 | 8:20
am

A Los Angeles City councilman intensified debate in the city over food trucks last Friday by introducing two motions that could lead to the trucks being banned on city streets.

One proposal from Councilman Tom LaBonge asks city staff
to study what other cities have done and to look into prohibiting
trucks from parking at metered spaces in commercially zoned areas. The
other calls for a report on the creation of specially designated
catering-truck parking zones.

Food truck owners and patrons -- famous for their fervor and their mastery of
social media sites such as Twitter -- have mounted a campaign against
the proposals and the councilman himself.

Someone has set up a
Facebook page called "Los Angelinos Against Labonge." An online
petition "against any city bill that would limit access to the food
trucks" had racked up 2,000 digital signatures in just three days. Food
truck supporters accosted LaBonge during his community bicycle ride
Wednesday evening to complain about his proposals. On Twitter,
where the controversy became a major local topic Wednesday, one post
urged food truck supporters to attend the ride to tell LaBonge "you
don't approve of his hatred of food trucks!"

Photo: Councilman Tom LaBonge, right, speaks with Dan Nathan about LaBonge's
proposal to limit food trucks on Wilshire Boulevard. "Everybody in the
building loves having the food trucks," said Nathan, who works nearby. Credit: John W. Adkisson / Los Angeles Times